Rogers Technology School Recruits Freshman Class

Charter Opens Doors To New Students

FLAMMABLE GAS 
Mark Morley, a chemistry and physics teacher at Rogers New Technology High School, lights flammable gas on Friday Feb. 7 2014 while student Ari Wright, anticipates an explosion. Students combined different chemicals to produce various flammable gasses in chemistry class on Friday.

FLAMMABLE GAS Mark Morley, a chemistry and physics teacher at Rogers New Technology High School, lights flammable gas on Friday Feb. 7 2014 while student Ari Wright, anticipates an explosion. Students combined different chemicals to produce various flammable gasses in chemistry class on Friday.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

ROGERS — Students, parents and teachers have joined the recruiting effort for New Technology High School in the past couple weeks.

The school is smaller and technology heavy, but the learning is less traditional, Lance Arbuckle, director, told parents in meetings. The charter school is a high school option for students within the Rogers School District.

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Meetings Required

Parents are required to attend one informational and one commitment meeting before their child will be entered into the admission lottery for Rogers New Technology High School.

• Commitment meeting: 6:30 p.m. Feb. 18 in the Professional Development Center at The Annex, 2922 S. First St.

• Makeup informational meeting will be scheduled after one was canceled.

• Freshman Class Lottery: 9 a.m. Feb. 27 at the Professional Development Center.

Source: Staff Report

Students talked about the transition from a traditional school to one based on projects. The shift has been a challenge, the students told parents.

Before she switched to New Technology High she memorized her answers the period before the test, then forgot them, Hope Lindner, a freshman, told parents at an informational meeting.

She also wasn’t a public speaker, said her mom, April Lindner.

“I can’t believe I did that,” Hope told her mother after the parent meeting.

She sees problems in a different way as a result of working in a small group of students, Hope said.

She has more responsibility in what she has to research and know, but learning in her combination English and history class comes naturally, Hope said.

Although she spoke in favor of the high school during a Thursday night meeting, the technology school wasn't her mother’s first choice, April Lindner said. Another daughter won’t attend the technology school because she wants to be involved in FFA, which isn't offered at the charter school. The risk paid off, April Lindner said.

“It’s not for all my kids. It’s hard work,” April Lindner said.

The school isn't for everyone, Arbuckle said. Some classes, such as broadcast journalism or theater classes, aren't offered. Students said, however, they were interested in programming, and a physics and programming class that gives students experience with robotics is on the fall schedule, Arbuckle said.

That balance between a host of high school options and the smaller, technology-focused school was reflected in parent questions during Thursday’s meeting.

“It looks like they’re really putting a big effort into turning it into a solid high school,” said Marvin Salinas, a parent.

He started scanning through the application and class information during the meeting, but said he will still need to think about what options are best for his daughter.

“The kids sounded so enthusiastic about it,” Salinas said.

Student enthusiasm ran high at a Jan. 30 information meeting.

Estefany Soto, a sophomore, came to New Tech after a year at Heritage High School. There's a lot of work at her new school, Soto said, but she's treated like an adult.

Pablo De La Torre, a sophomore, also spent his freshman year at Heritage. Classwork was hard the first few weeks of school and he was unhappy, but now he feels like the teachers are his friends, Pablo said.

“You will not have a chance to hide in the corner here,” he said.

Students work on projects together, but they have to keep up their end of the work or risk getting fired from their team and doing the work alone.

The school opened in the fall with freshmen and sophomores and will add a junior class this year and seniors next year, but those classes will be students already attending the school. The admission lottery scheduled for Feb. 27 is for a class of 150 freshmen. Current students have until Feb. 14 to recommit.

Since the school opened, seven students have left because they didn’t like the style of education. Arbuckle estimated 3 percent of the more than 280 students who started when the school opened have moved or left.

Part of this year’s recruitment effort is to explain to both parents and students the freedom and the responsibilities at the school. To submit an application for their child, parents must attend two of a series of meetings that started last week and end the week before applications are due. A yearlong commitment is also required.

Arbuckle describes New Tech as “school done differently.” Technology is just another tool he said, although each student is issued a laptop computer where they complete and submit assignments. Students who arrive at the technology school have nine years of very traditional school.

“We’re not gonna un-ring that bell in two months,” Arbuckle told parents.

Teachers told parents that students use laptops and iPhones in class, and one of the lessons they teach is being responsible with that privilege.

Mother Jerri Bravo said she likes that she can monitor, on her computer, assignments for her son Nick, a sophomore, and she can see when he turns work in.

James Cordero said he wants his son to be challenged academically, and working on teams is a lifelong skill.

“The project-based piece is something others are not offering,” Cordero said. “This is a model that will help you compete globally.”